Redmoon Theater - Production History

Production History

Redmoon was established in 1990 by Blair Thomas and Laurie Macklin. Jim Lasko joined the company shortly after Macklin left, in its incipient stages. Thomas directed Redmoon's first show "You Hold My Heart Between Your Teeth" and established a distinct visual style that remained signature for years. Lasko and Thomas served as co-leaders of the Redmoon, collaboratively creating original theater productions, community collaborative events, and outdoor spectacles until Mr. Thomas left in 1998. Under Jim Lasko's direction the company emphasized free work in public spaces and its aesthetic moved more toward mechanical ingenuity and spectacle. During this period they mounted three signature outdoor events: 'The All Hallow's Eve Ritual Celebration', a community interactive ritual that brought over 10,000 people to Logan Square on a single evening; 'Sink, Sank, Sunk' which culminated on with a Viking funeral down the Chicago River, and "Hunchback", an adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel that featured acrobatic performances which played in traditional theaters throughout the United States to critical acclaim. In 2008 Mr. Lasko took leave of the Artistic Director role and longtime associate Frank Maugeri took the healm. Under Mr. Maugeri, Redmoon continued to grow its reputation for creating theater in unexpected places. Characteristic of the scale and ambition of that work was 'The Astronaut's Birthday', a massive projected comic book that transformed the 66' x 33' glass facade of the Museum of Contemporary Art into a huge shadow screen with audience seated in the plaza. In 2011 Mr. Lasko returned to join Mr. Maugeri in order to co-lead Redmoon.